


Filed under: There’s only so much the Mist can do

by sturmundfrei



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, Post-Canon, am I doing this crack thing right, so many inside jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 16:25:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5935039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sturmundfrei/pseuds/sturmundfrei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy and Annabeth confuse the hell out of a poor real estate agent. Not on purpose, mind you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Filed under: There’s only so much the Mist can do

Most days, Callie likes her job just fine. The hours are average, as is the pay, and her colleagues don’t mind making coffee for the whole office. Granted, the amount of paperwork may be a little above average, but at least she always has house viewings to look forward to. She loves showing people around potential new homes. Listening to them talk about their plans and dreams feels like getting a glimpse of a happy future. 

That’s why millennials are her favorite clients—she loves the excitement and relief on their faces when they realize they can move into a place of their own after all. Not too long ago, Callie felt the same, and now that she’s fully moved into her girlfriend’s apartment, she’s determined to make everyone feel as blessed with their home as she does.

“House viewing today,” she tells her colleague Marcia, who’s just stopped by with some paperwork. “A couple, I think, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. They’re moving here from San Francisco, can you imagine?”

“I hope they have a job,” Marcia says and stalks off. She’s smack-dab in the middle of menopause, so Callie decides to forgive her and turns to her computer.

There are three potential apartments for today’s clients. It’s a pretty good selection, considering Callie didn’t have a lot of wiggle room. Usually, she can get away with not meeting _all_ of her client’s demands, but this time, they spent a few weeks emailing back and forth before settling on a list of options. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase clearly know what they want.

“Well,” Callie says to her email program, “let’s go get them what they want.”

\---

They meet at Starbucks, on the corner of 5th Avenue and 56th Street. It’s right next to Tiffany’s flagship store, and Callie amuses herself with a little fantasy of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase checking out the ring display before entering the coffee-scented bubble of Starbucks. She hasn’t met them yet, but that doesn’t spoil her fun. She’s a sucker for romance.

When she does meet her clients, however, she has to reconsider. They don’t look like the type to go to Tiffany’s. Percy is tall and toned and tan, like a surfer, with messy black hair and the most unusual sea-green eyes. He has a tattoo on the underside of his arm and wears an open-necked shirt featuring Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle from _The Little Mermaid_ on a pair of faded grey jeans. There’s a string of beads around his neck, which Callie assumes to be a variation on promise rings, since his girlfriend is wearing a similar one.

Annabeth also has a similar tan. She’s dressed in blue linen shorts and a sleeveless white blouse, showing off a figure that belongs on a beach volleyball court. Her blond curls are tied back in a high ponytail and her grey eyes seem to see straight through everyone. She gives a firm handshake; Callie has no trouble believing this is the young woman she’s been emailing with. 

After the standard _hellos_ and _howareyous_ and a quick _letsorderfirstshallwe_ , they step into the summer sun and Callie produces a list of things they’ve discussed, just to make sure they are all on the same page.

“So all three options are in Manhattan, like you wanted,” she says. “I did find a fourth place in Brooklyn that’s really—”

“Yeah, no, Brooklyn’s out,” Percy interrupts and smiles apologetically. “It’s got to be Manhattan. Sorry.”

“Alright, no problem.” Callie still hasn’t found out what this couple has against Brooklyn, but she shrugs it off and continues, “They’re also really close to the river, all three of them, but I have to warn you, it does make them a little pricier than average.”

“That’s okay,” Annabeth says. “Our parents are contributing financially. Well, my mom and his dad are.”

She exchanges smiles with her boyfriend, and there’s a hint of something in their eyes that makes Callie wonder if there’s an inside joke she’s missing. Are her mom and his dad dating, maybe? It’s another thing she doesn’t comment on, since it’s none of her business, and they’ve also arrived at the first building.

“This apartment has two bedrooms, an open concept kitchen and living room, a bathroom with a separate toilet, and a nice utility room.” Callie waves at the doorman as they cross a carpeted floor to the elevators. “It’s on the twelfth floor, so a little higher up than you indicated you’d like to be, but it’s a stunning view.”

Percy mumbles something to Annabeth that makes her throw her head back and laugh. Callie has been trained in the art of ‘eavesdropping on conversations so she can use whatever clients are saying to better market a property’, but all she picks up is _literally stunning if Zeus has a bad day_ , and that’s definitely nonsense. She just smiles politely as they zoom up in the elevator and wonders what brand of air freshener this building uses, because the sea scent in the elevator is so strong they might as well be on the Mediterranean.

The apartment is roomy and clean, with a modern kitchen and a rain shower that doesn’t even add more to the overall price. Annabeth asks a few questions about the structure of the building and the era it’s from and what kind of beams they used, which Callie can all answer except for the last one. She apologizes profusely, but Percy saves her from what would be a very awkward googling session by laughing and looping an arm around his girlfriend’s waist.

“She’s an architecture nut,” he explains, “with a degree and everything. It’s alright, Wise Girl, this building isn’t going to collapse on us.”

“Not by itself, maybe,” Annabeth says, pushing against his chest and leaning into his embrace straight after. “I was just wondering how much, uh… _pressure_ it can take.”

Percy frowns and casts a quick glance around, as if he’s expecting something to pop out of the shadows. Callie wonders if she should move them into her ‘conspiracy theorists’ category. She’s also noticed Percy is staying away from the windows. Maybe he belongs in a general ‘phobic tendencies’ category and Annabeth’s attention to detail is only to humor him? The part of her imagination most influenced by Hollywood suggests they might be secret agents only pretending to be a couple for the sake of an undercover mission. 

She discards that last suggestion immediately when she watches the pair walk around the apartment. They’re holding hands, so casually that Callie knows it’s become second nature, it’s just what they do when they are together. Annabeth says something about the rain shower keeping up his stamina, whatever that means, and Percy smirks like she’s said something dirty. 

Next, they talk about what to do with the spare bedroom. Annabeth votes guest room, Percy reminds her that she really wants an office, Annabeth admits to that but then says _Nico_ in a very meaningful tone of voice, and Percy sighs the way Callie’s mother does when she brings up Callie’s wayward little brother (it is ironic that he always seems to be homeless, while Callie is in the business of providing homes).

Finally, they enter the master bedroom and immediately agree that the back wall would be an excellent spot for their map of Greece. Callie jumps in with a little reference to her past holiday on Corfu, but Annabeth clarifies that it’s a map of _Ancient_ Greece, and the only thing Callie knows about that is Hercules.

“Who isn’t all he’s hyped up to be,” Percy says, all casual like he’s talking about a disappointing type of cornflakes, but Annabeth chuckles and Callie assumes it’s another inside joke again.

“Shall we go to the next apartment?” she says, trying to get back to a topic that makes more sense. The couple agrees and they step back into the elevator.

\---

The second apartment also has two bedrooms, but a separate kitchen and living room, a combined bathroom and toilet, a smaller utility room, and a narrow balcony. It’s up on the seventh floor, which to Callie seems perfectly acceptable, except Percy still doesn’t go near the windows. Maybe it’s because those windows a lot larger than the ones in the first apartment. Annabeth asks about the beams again and this time Callie has an answer, thanks to some quick googling in the elevator.

“And what about the plumbing?” Annabeth continues, watching Percy lean over the kitchen sink and inspect the tap. “How old is it?”

“Fairly new,” Callie says in a reassuring voice. “There’s been maybe a dozen reports of incidents in the last year, like showers malfunctioning or dirty water coming out, which is a really good average for a building this size.”

“Hmmm.” Annabeth wanders over to Percy and takes his hand again, rubbing a finger across the back of it. He looks down to grin at her.

“Would you have preferred rickety plumbing?” His soft voice signals to Callie that this is supposed to be a private conversation, so she turns away and pretends to read something on her tablet.

“I don’t know,” Annabeth replies, equally hushed. “On the one hand, new and proper plumbing might be able to handle you better, but on the other—if the plumbing’s known to have its little hiccups, it’ll definitely attract less attention.”

“I love how you just count on me blowing something up,” Percy says. Callie can’t quite decide if he’s joking or being sarcastic, and apparently Annabeth can’t either, because she huffs.

“Well, excuse me for actually being concerned about our—”

Percy laughs. “No worries, babe. I’m kinda counting on it, too.” 

“You’re impossible, Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth sighs, and then Callie recognizes the sound of people kissing. She isn’t sure what they were just talking about—is Percy a chemistry teacher who likes to take his work home? An aspiring plumber himself? Really bad at unclogging drains?—but she files it under ‘weird hobbies’ and waits a few seconds before turning back to her clients.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“Does this place allow pets?” Percy asks, resting his hand on Annabeth’s hip. “We have this friend who’s kind of a hobo—” 

“He _has_ a home,” Annabeth butts in, “but he’s more comfortable on the road.”

“Yeah, that.” Percy nods like that’s the exact same thing he just said. “We told him he could stay with us for a bit once we had our own place. And he has a dog. A really big one.”

Callie assures them it’s most definitely not a problem, as long as their friend (the Nico they mentioned, she assumes) doesn’t stay forever and his dog is well-behaved. Percy grimaces a bit at that last remark, but Annabeth seems confident, and she strikes Callie as plenty trustworthy and responsible. 

“Well, if you don’t have any more questions, how about we check out the third apartment?” 

\---

As usual, Callie has saved the best for last: two bedrooms, another kitchen/living room combination, a bathroom with a toilet _and_ a separate toilet, a utility room, a balcony, and giant windows facing the river, all on the second floor of a relatively new building. She watches Percy and Annabeth exchange bright-eyed looks and smiles to herself.

They take a look at the bathroom and Annabeth comments that there’s enough room for a bathtub, if they remove the toilet. Percy solemnly promises not to flood it if she lets him have it, and she swats his arm playfully. In the master bedroom, he points out the high ceiling. Annabeth compliments him on his sense of architecture and Callie looks away discreetly to let them share a kiss. When they return to the living room, she leads them to the windows, and Percy steps right up to the glass. Callie makes a mental note and opens the door to the balcony.

“Do you see how large it is?” she says, pointing. “Much larger than the one from the last place, isn’t it? You could keep a horse on there.”

Percy’s eyes widen and he sticks his head out of the door to check on the size of the balcony. It’s almost as if Callie can see him measuring the space and picturing a horse. They did mention a ‘really big dog’, but most really big dogs still aren’t horse-sized. She is tempted to ask, but then she notices Annabeth shaking her head in amusement, and she decides to add it to her ‘literal thinker’ category. 

All in all, she has Percy in every folder of her brain that screams _Not Going to Buy, Will Forget / Chicken Out / Change Mind_ , so she’s thoroughly surprised when he returns to the living room and says, “Annabeth, let’s do it, this place feels right.”

“I agree,” Annabeth says, and they grin at each other, the same hopeful excited future-hungry grin that Callie has come to know very well. When they turn to her, she can’t help but smile at them in return. 

This is when she doesn’t just like her job, but actually loves it. 

\---

Percy and Annabeth move into the apartment three weeks later. They invite Callie to their housewarming party and she spends the entire evening wondering how the hysterically delighted poodle jumping up against everyone’s legs could possibly be the ‘really big dog’ Percy was referring to. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments make my day, so please don’t hesitate to leave one! :)


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